Two months before a high-tension presidential election, television is re-examining the Trump administration and controversy that’s since fallen out of the public eye.
A new miniseries, “The Comey Rule,” evaluates the intense drama between President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey — the show’s namesake. The show is a two-night event on Showtime filled with the intense strife between these two powerful politicians trying to outplay one another.
Jeff Daniels, who stars as Comey, and Brendan Gleeson, who plays Trump, offer glaringly authentic and timely portrayals of the men. Released in the two days before the first presidential debate on Tuesday and the six weeks until the general election in November, something about the story and depictions seemed eerie.
One line from the trailer stood out: “Putin began cultivating Trump as an asset.” This powerful assertion succeeded in setting the show’s tone.
The Russian investigation, which began in July of 2016, was an examination into the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Russian officials’ involvement in the outcome. The scandal is at the forefront of the show’s collision between Trump, who was under scrutiny, and Comey, who conducted the FBI case.
The series brought to light not only the toll and burden of the investigation on the American people, but also the tension between two of the most powerful people in the nation. The high stakes of this real-life struggle provided fuel for the anti-Trump fire, showcasing his role in helping Russia achieve its hidden agendas.
Especially considering the charged political atmosphere in the country that is enduring at the moment, many are questioning whether those who have chosen a candidate are able to change their views. It’s obvious that the show villainizes Trump, and after watching a few minutes, you will feel that he truly is just that.
The dark grays and bleak shots depict the sensation of doom in the series. The close-ups of Gleeson’s Trump, covered in heavy prosthetics, show the wrinkles and old face that characterize a consistent evil, proving him to be the antagonist of the show.
Being a fictionalized miniseries but based on true events, many story lines and dialogue seemed to have more weight than a normal serialized TV show. One shot of Trump pulling in James Coney close for a handshake at a press conference cinematically demonstrated the beginning of their toxic relationship.
This relationship became a strenuous focal point for the entire show, even convincing the viewer at points that there must be something disturbed, mentally, with Trump’s character as he began to explain that he has been treated brutally and needed loyalty.
Gleeson does an incredible job of imitating and exaggerating Trump’s voice throughout the entire miniseries. His ability to recreate Trump’s voice, expression and body language creates a highly persuasive program that alarms audiences — it appears as if it truly is the president committing these actions, not simply an actor.
Additionally, the montages of Trump rallies bring us back to our current moment while recounting the past — the similarities between then and now are glaring here. Scenes in which Comey has to face his ethical values and decide what to do in dealing with Trump, who forces him to pledge his loyalty, creates a heightened sense of urgency and doom perhaps all too common in the present.
The powerful miniseries depicts the aspects of the presidential term while painting the president himself as a full-blooded villain, constructing a series that shamelessly demonstrates the infuriation and terror many Americans are experiencing.
